Belgian euthanasia figures

[Fiji]

2012 was a record year for euthanasia in Belgium. 1430[1] people sought and got an assited suicide last year[2]. There was the rather famous case of the twin brothers who were already deaf and were going blind. They opted for euthanasia together. Which is a bit odd, but in their situation, I can understand it.
Swiss style euthanasia tourism has not taken off in Belgium. There were exactly 10 cases of people traveling to Belgium for the express reason of killing themselves legally. Now there's something to put on those silly touristy road signs. "Welcome to Belgium, where people come to die."
Those 10 were 'mostly', the article said, French, German and US-ian. I can actually imagine how that line got into the article.
+ "Hm, I want to say something about those two Germans."
- "Yeah, but you can't put 'two Germans'."
+ "Why not?"
- "Cause ... erm ... cause ... I don't know, it just feels wrong."
+ "Look, it took me ages to get these figures together, sort through them. Why do you think, just click a button and POOF two Germans pop out. I want to include the two Germans!"
- "Why don't you put ... 'mostly German, French and American'?"
+ "That's silly!"
- "it works though"
+ *sigh* "Ow, alright then, I'll put 'mostly'"

wow, would you look at that tangent! I'm actually sorry for that. Was listening to Robert Llewellyn while typing that. Strange things happen inside my skull when he's about.
Just ... pretend the stuff about the 10 foreigners isn't in the post. Yeah, I suppose I could just delete the lot, but I'm just that kind of a git, aren't I?

Better type something relevant now ... The euthanasia law is set to be amended. Currently euthanasia is only available for adults. The amendment would lower the age to 12.

1.	up from 1133 in 2011
2.	on a population of 11 million

[Nick]

The road leading the the nursing home in my town ends at the nursing home.  There has been a sign on that road for many many years that says, "dead end".  Lately, someone came to the city council wanting the sign changed.  She thought it would scare old people going into the nursing home.

I was going to ask if you needed to be a Belgian to take part in the service offered.  Sounds like you don't.  Good to know for down the road...not the "dead end road".

[Dante]

Better type something relevant now ... The euthanasia law is set to be amended. Currently euthanasia is only available for adults. The amendment would lower the age to 12.

12 year olds have a need for euthanisia? Of their own volition, or would it require an adult guardian to approve? Or maybe an independent 3rd party?

That doesn't sit comfortably with me. 12 year olds can be manipulated by adults into thinking they need euthanized, when in fact it could be that the adult is weary of taking care of a sick child. Also, with the advances constantly being made in modern medicine, one would hope that maybe, just maybe, a cure could be found for what ails them, given some time. I can see the need in the latter stages of particularly horrible and painful cases of terminal cancers and such, but I hope that there would be a provision for….an alternative.

[Fiji]

@ Nick, no, you don't have to be Belgian, free traffic of people and services and all that Euro-Jazz. But your doctor must be attached to a Belgian hospital, or have a practise in Belgium.

@ Dante, yes, yes and yes
The child, his legal guardian/parent(s) and doctor all have to agree.
Case in point being a 14 year old terminal cancer patient who was on a massive amount of painkillers. I say 'was' since he finally died a few months after making a plea to pleasepleaseplease be allowed to die "ahead of schedule."
There has also been a plea by parents of a terminally ill 9 year old (also dead in the mean time) to do away with a minimal age entirely. But the amendment, for the time being, only lowers the minimum age to 12.

[Graybeard]

The only objection that I can see is "If there is euthanasia, is there also a need for a cure? If there is, need it be as vigorous as it is now?" This is a particularly weak argument as there is always money to be made by prolonging life and health.

Prolonged death is observed and suffered in private; you end up with millions of witnesses but none know the others' stories - isolated witnesses who do not bring pressure on politicians.

Doctors are aware and it is their legions who inspire the research - or should do., but more likely, big Parma looks a the commonest causes of death, thus ignoring (or funding less) the minor, but equally or more horrible causes.

Everyone will, at some time, witness the death of a person who is close. At any given moment, a large portion of the population know how harrowing it is - everyone dies. There's not much point carrying on when all is lost.

Does the law in Belgium allow for euthanasia in cases of depression and other mental illnesses where the person is otherwise healthy?

And are records available of the conditions suffered by those who chose this way?

[Nick]

Do they allow for people who choose to do this to be organ donors?